BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott says he will do all he can to ensure SpaceX stays in Boca Chica, Brownsville.
The chances of Elon Musk moving his company’s rocket launches to Florida have increased because the Federal Aviation Authority has yet to give environmental clearance for the expansion of operations at Boca Chica.
Musk has said he might have to move rocket launching operations to Florida if there are any further delays in getting environmental clearance. He has said research and development could continue at Boca Chica.
Just doing R&D at Boca Chica will not please economic development leaders in the Rio Grande Valley. They view the potential of rockets being launched from Boca Chica as a great boost for the region's tourism.
Asked by veteran broadcaster Ron Whitlock of Ron Whitlock Reports whether he is concerned about losing SpaceX, Abbott said:
“What I am going to do if Biden interferes with the ability of SpaceX to launch from Boca Chica; I am going to be working every step of the way to make sure that they are going to be able to launch from Boca Chica. We heard the vision from Mr. Patel himself about what they are working on and our job is to make sure they are able to achieve their vision. And I have worked with Elon Musk very closely with regard to Tesla and the Giga factory in Austin, Texas. And we will be working with him very closely, every step of the way in Boca Chica for the future of SpaceX. We want that future and that vision to come from Boca Chica, from Brownsville, Texas.”
Whitlock followed up with: “And not to Florida?” Abbott responded: “Correct.”
Whitlock interviewed Abbott at an economic development event held recently at the Port of Brownsville. Since this event, SpaceX has learned that its application to expand its Boca Chica rocket launching site has hit a new hurdle.
Bloomberg News Reported: “SpaceX’s application for an expansion of its south Texas launch site was suspended by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after the company failed to provide requested information, another potential delay for Elon Musk’s aerospace company.”
The Bloomberg story continued: “The Army Corps informed SpaceX in a letter dated March 7 that it has closed the review of an application for a secondary launch and landing pad, along with other launch support infrastructure, for the Boca Chica site.”
“Without the requested information, the permit process cannot continue,” Lynda Yezzi, public affairs chief for the Army Corps, Galveston District, told Bloomberg via email.
The process can be re-initiated once the data are submitted, according to the letter. SpaceX and Musk didn’t immediately reply to emails seeking comment on the permit process.
"The launch firm, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., is constructing its reusable Starship rocket system at the Texas location near the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. border, where it also wants to launch the massive new spaceship, the largest in commercial space history,” the Bloomberg story added.
Editor’s Note: Click here to read the full Bloomberg News story in the Los Angeles Times.
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